Well, that one has a legitimate alternative UK release - and a very recent one, what's more.

Old Soviet titles like the Tarkovskys are one thing, as it's well known that there are all sorts of copyright grey areas there, but clearly it shouldn't normally be possible to have two separate, simultaneous and competing releases of American films made in the last thirty years (or indeed considerably older) within the same territory.

What's especially surprising here is that you'd think such a renowned structure like Criterion would have thoroughly made all the necessary rightholding researches for their releases, and yet, it seems a bit more chaotic than that.
And if we consider Sony is actually doing most of the UK ports work, don't they have the UK rights of the Soderbergh there ?

tenia wrote:What's especially surprising here is that you'd think such a renowned structure like Criterion would have thoroughly made all the necessary rightholding researches for their releases, and yet, it seems a bit more chaotic than that.
And if we consider Sony is actually doing most of the UK ports work, don't they have the UK rights of the Soderbergh there ?

Yeah I'm sure it's up to Sony as much as Criterion what gets released over here. Sure, there's already the HMV exclusive edition of sex, lies, and videotape, but that was only exclusive for a limited period - notice Warner Bros released Logan's Run in a regular edition recently, previously an HMV exclusive. Also Sony themselves allowed Indicator to release Jason and the Argonauts last year, even if it was only a box set exclusive.

According to Amazon UK, Criterion is releasing King of Jazz in July and according to HMV sex, lies, and videotape is back on for an August release.

Obviously King of Jazz is a step down from the cancelled A Matter of Life and Death, but it is interesting in that it is a Universal title. So maybe Universal will let Criterion release the Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood set in the UK.

No idea why they had to reschedule sex, lies, and videotape but there you go. None as exciting as A Matter of Life and Death was, but at least they're still doing two a month. And like dwk says, interesting to see a Universal title announced - hopefully this means we can get the Dietrich/Von Sternberg set, and possibly other things like Traffic, Ministry of Fear, The Game, The Palm Beach Story and The Breakfast Club.

Perhaps even Paramount titles such as Days of Heaven, Election, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Rosemary's Baby, Moonrise, Riot in Cell Block 11 and Downhill Racer? I believe The Virgin Suicides is Pathé in the UK, as is Topsy-Turvy), so we might not see Criterion editions of those in the UK anytime soon.

Interesting to see that in the end, August couple of titles will basically be 2 new releases, instead of the usual 1 older release + 1 new "simultaneous" release.
Is there a precedent already ? It seems a first to me.
EDIT : yeah, no, November 2017 with Jabberwocky, Philadelphia Story and Desert Hearts was already a 100% new releases month. It remains rare, though.

Last edited by tenia on Thu May 24, 2018 6:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

Eureka indeed lost the rights to it. I remember Kevin (now with Arrow) being quite annoyed as they had planned to upgrade that one when Criterion/Sony snapped up the library it was part of prior to their UK expansion, just after their rights expired. I think a similar thing happened with Grey Gardens (and presumably General Idi Amin Dada, Autoportrait).

By the way, there's a 2 for £25 offer on UK Criterion at the moment with all titles up to and including the March 2018 ones - seems only Zoom have listed Yi Yi and The Age of Innocence in the offer but they might soon be added to the HMV one.

I think they might not bother given that they'd be required to censor the film and there's already a competing edition available.

I think they would probably bother as they have already released Solaris, Stalker and Ivan's Childhood, and wouldn't miss the opportunity to release a competing edition, especially as it's reportedly a much better master. I imagine they'll do the same with Mirror eventually.

And I'd be surprised if A Raisin in the Sun wasn't the other September title for the UK, being with Sony.

Based on what just happened with A Matter of Life and Death, I would still be surprised to see Andrei Rublev. It apparently hasn't been re-classified yet, the last time being for Artificial Eye in 2016, and I doubt Sony or Criterion know the master needs to be cut, which would, I think, also involve cutting the selected-scene commentary track. I expect if it does come out, it will be uncut and eventually withdrawn when someone discovers the error.